Krein’s 1st Annual Retreat in Ivrea and Surroundings: In Pursuit of Harmony Between Work, Humanity, Art, Technology and Beauty

Last month, Krein embarked on a 2-day retreat in the Piedmont region. It was the first internal initiative of this year. As a means of fostering team cohesion, the retreat carried a twofold purpose: strengthening collaboration among teams and discovering the story of a bright, visionary and disruptive entrepreneur in Italian history to get inspiration.

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‍Milan, 19th April 2024‍

Four offices, a pool of diverse professionals – designers, developers, strategists, researchers – that’s the Krein machine. And collaboration is the glue that keeps it running. 

Through an “all-hands” meeting session, a culinary challenge, and a visit to the fascinating Olivetti’s industrial settings in Ivrea, Krein had the opportunity to test team bonding and boosted inspiration to continue growing together.

I. Day 1: All-hands and Culinary Contest!

An all-hands meeting is an occasion where a company gathers all members of the organization to address significant subjects. The goal is to align everyone regarding upcoming  initiatives and more.

During the first part of the opening day, the Krein team, including those unable to be present in person, attended a presentation summarizing the key objectives for the current year.

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Among the updates, the unveiling of Krein's new digital ecosystem, which  has recently been at the core of a realignment across the website, social media, and other channels. 

Also, the presentation was an opportunity to introduce the Krein project to the Riot Design team, and vice versa, allowing both teams to familiarize themselves with each other. 

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This meeting was the first occasion for the two teams to convene jointly since the recent merger of their respective companies.

During the latter half of the day, the team dove into a culinary showdown. Splitting into two teams, they went head-to-head, with judges from the Krein board evaluating their efforts. This challenge wasn't just about cooking: it put our team's organization, creativity, and, most importantly, teamwork to the test. 

The team emerged victorious not only for cooking the most delicious dish but also for delivering the most compelling storytelling and providing the finest wine pairing.

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II. Day 2: Hello Krein, Ivrea Welcomes You!

On the second day, the focus shifted to a special outing: Krein set out from the countryside of Turin towards Ivrea to uncover the unique story of one of the most iconic business models of all time: Olivetti. 

Thanks to the guide provided by Museotecnologicamente in Ivrea, we traced all the stages of growth of the company founded by Camillo Olivetti and later managed by Adriano Olivetti, a legendary figure in Italian entrepreneurial history. 

This visit was an essential experience for a team like Krein's. As a B2B digital company, the visit allowed us to deepen our understanding of industrial dynamics while also drawing inspiration from a unique model.

Adriano Olivetti's philosophy is a source of inspiration that generates a shaping force. His experience marks an important cultural and psychological framework within business organization. The welfare model and the idea of building a community around the company are elements of great inspiration for a company like Krein.

After the visit, we had time to get books about the Olivetti company and enjoy a great lunch with Piedmontese dishes together.

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III. Back in the Office: The Retrospective

A retreat undoubtedly presents a unique growth opportunity for the entire team. However, what growth would it be if we were unable to retrace the steps of our organization and critically analyze strengths and weaknesses? So, once we returned to our desks, we dove into a retrospective! It’s a sort of “learning-by-doing”. 

How did it work? We gathered and shared a framework divided into three parts: "went well," "to improve," and "action items." Their titles are self-explanatory! 

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The action items were used to provide proactive proposals once organizational issues were identified. During the individual sessions, each of us anonymously added our comments to stimulate constructive discussion, avoiding conflicts or misunderstandings.

So, now we're getting ready for the next retreat. That first meet-up was definitely a win, as we managed to blend three key ingredients: collaborative team bonding, inspiring learning, and constructive results analysis.

‍The best has yet to come.

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SOURCES

• Hubspot (2024), How To Run an Effective All Hands Meeting; 
• Bricco P., AO Adriano Olivetti. Un italiano del novecento, Milano, Rizzoli, 2023.